Exploring South African Pacific oyster mariculture potential through combined Earth observation and bioenergetics modelling

Planning and licensing for marine aquaculture

“…261 EO can provide spatial maps and time-series of parameters such as temperature, chlorophyll, and total suspended solids, with considerable scope for use among planning and licensing frameworks to identify potential aquaculture zones and new sites. [262][263][264][265] For extractive species (e.g., mussels and oysters) that are reliant on the natural environment for food, EO is particularly useful for site scoping to provide a comprehensive overview of heterogeneous conditions within a bay or along a coastline. Thus, EO data can provide useful inputs to growth models to evaluate the spatial variation in potential sites, 262 or combined with other factors within GISbased models for aquaculture planning and management, 114 as shown by Barillé et al 117 However, for aquaculture and coastal management more broadly, there are still challenges in using EO, such as cloud cover and atmospheric correction, as reviewed by McCarthy et al 266 In situ data collection is rapidly evolving, particularly using new technology such as real-time sensors that monitor conditions (e.g., sea temperature and dissolved oxygen variability 267 ) that can be reviewed via mobile phones and computer at any time, and many parts of the aquaculture sector are developing techniques useful for daily operations.…”

“…Earth observation (EO) is becoming increasingly important as a source of data to support monitoring of environmental conditions and planning and management of aquaculture at different spatial scales and resolutions 261 . EO can provide spatial maps and time‐series of parameters such as temperature, chlorophyll, and total suspended solids, with considerable scope for use among planning and licensing frameworks to identify potential aquaculture zones and new sites 262–265 . For extractive species (e.g., mussels and oysters) that are reliant on the natural environment for food, EO is particularly useful for site scoping to provide a comprehensive overview of heterogeneous conditions within a bay or along a coastline.…”